Henry claek



(No Model.)

H. CLARK.

GAR STARTER.

M@ ess @9 N. PETERS. Pmo-Lnwgwpnr. wnhmgmn. D. c.

,UN-.Iren STATES.

HENRY CLARK, OF MILWAUKEE, VIS.,

ASSIGNOR OF TVO-THIRDS TO FRANK W. ERBACHER AND CHRISTIAN HELMS, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-STARTER.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,450, dated July 3, 1883. Apolicaion filed May T, 1&83. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY CLARK, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee,'and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Starters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof'.

My invention relates to devices for starting horse-cars after they have been stopped by the driver; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction, as will be fully set forth 'hereinafter. r

In the drawings, Figure l isa side elevation of a horse-car .with my device attached thereto in the position it assumes when the car stops. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of my device, showing in full lines its position when it is in operation to start a car, and in dotted lines its position clear of the ground when the car is in 2o motion, and Fig. 3 is a detail.

A represents the under side of a horse-car to which my device is attached, and B is a drawbar supported in suitable bearings, a and a', in which it has longitudinal play, and its forked 2 5 front end, b, is adapted to receive the evener of the whiflietrees, while a stop, b', prevents the said draw-bar 'from being pulled too far forward.

To about the center of the car-bottom and 3o back of the rear end of the draw-bar there is secured a downward-projecting vertical elongated sheave-block, C, having sheaves c c at top and bottom,respectively, the block being open between them to admit and form a guide 3 5 for the rear arm, D,\ of a jointed lever, whose forward arm, D/, is pivoted atie between the downward-projecting arms of a bracket or hanger, E, secured to the under side of the car, the inner end of vone of the arms of the jointed 4o lever being forked to receive the inner end of the other arm, and the two arms-being connected by a pivot, f, just forward of the sheaveblock, C, on which pivot is hung a shackle, F, the loop of which receives one end of a cord or 4 5 chain, G, which passes back under the sheave 'c, then up through a slot, d, in the armD and over the sheave c, and forward to the rear end of the draw-bar B, to which it is fastened. From the lower part of the sheave-block C 5o there extends upward a rear curved bracket,

C', which limits the drop of the arm D of the jointed lever. The forward arm, D', of the jointed lever is preferably forked in front, and each fork is curved upward and carries a weight, d, at its extreme end, though the arm D need not be forked, provided its extreme front end is weighted, as shown and these weights are adjustable back and forth on the arm D, so as to counterbalance the weight of the rear arm, D, and its attachment, to be next 6o described. The weights d are provided with set-screws d2, to secure them in the required position on said arm after adjustment.

H is a block the center of which is preferably slotted to receive the rear end of the arm D, which issecured thereto by a pivot, 71., and a flat spring, h, is secured to the arm D near its rear end, the free end of said spring bearing down upon the top of the block. rlhis block is provided with teeth H H, which may either. 7o be directly secured to the block or form calks on a shoe secured to the block, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of my device will be readily understood from the foregoing description of its construction, and its advantages will be ap parent to any one who has observed the dii-licnlty experienced and expenditure of force required in again starting a horse-car which has been stopped en route. As long as the car is in motion the draw-bar will be pulled forward, and the jointed arms consequently in astraight line with theV toothed block or starter, free from contact with the road-bed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2; but when the car stops and the draft on the bar B ceases, the weights d serve to draw the front end of the arm D of the jointed lever downward and elevate the central inner ends of the arms D D drawinO the 7 b the barB instantly raises the block H from roo contact with the ground, and the lever D resumes its horizontal position again.

Not only is my device eiiioacious in starting a ear, but it makes a most effective brake whenever a ear is stopped on an upgrade, and it is then in position for operation when the car is to be again started. Again, in case any part of the gear or harness breaks in going uphill, my device acts automatically as a brake and prevents the car from running downhill, keeping it stationary until the damage is repaired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a starter for horserars, the combination of the draw-bar B, sheave-block C, with sheaves c c, chain G, and jointed lever D D, one arm of which is weighted at its front end, while the other arm bears the toothed block H at its rear end, substantially as set forth.

2. In a starter for horse-cars, the combination of the draw-bar B and sheave-block C, with sheaves c c, and the `jointed lever D D',

Q'sASo bearing pivotcd shackle F, weights (1.', and toothed block H, with the chain G, attached to the shackle and to the draw-bar, and passing around the sheaves and through a slot in the arm D of the lever, and the rear curvedbracket, C', attached to the sheave-block to limit the drop of the arm D, substantially as set i'orth.

3. An automatic car-starter consisting of a j ointed lever, the front arm o1i which is wei ghted at its i'ree end,and having atoothed block pivoted to the free end of the rear arm and connected with the draw-bar, as described,whereby the device is adapted to act as a brake on upgrades, and stop the ear in case of breakage oi' gear and to be in position for starting the car again, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l', have hereunto set my hand, on this 16th day of April, '1888, in the presence ot' two wit nesses.

HENRY CLARK.

\Vitne sses:

STANLEY S. S'roUT, H. G. UNDnnwoon. 

